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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. prune — to trim
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. bank — for money
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. face — to confront
  10. face — part of the head
  11. bank — of a river
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. prune — to trim
  14. wind — moving air
  15. face — to point toward
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. bank — for money
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. wind — moving air

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com